Another University planning to strip Mugabe of honorary degree

By Violet Gonda
23 February 2006

Jack Wilson the President of the University of Massachusetts in Boston, USA has said he will consider revoking an honorary doctorate awarded to Robert Mugabe in 1986. Journalist Geoff Hill said this was discussed during a press conference on Wednesday at the home of Nelson Mandela when the board of directors from the American university were conferring a similar honorary degree on the former South African President.

Two other Universities, Edinburgh and Michigan have said they are looking at the process of stripping Mugabe of their own honorary degrees because of his bad human rights record in recent years.

Hill, who posed the question about Mugabe’s honorary degree during the press conference, said Wilson was very responsive and said that he would lead the process and initiate an enquiry as soon as he got back to Boston.

Mugabe has earned 6 degrees and has been awarded at least 4 honorary doctorates from the University’s of Michigan, Massachusetts, Edinburgh and Zimbabwe. He famously quipped that he has also a degree in violence.

Geoff Hill said although Mugabe might respond to this latest news by making his usual attack on the West, “this sends a very important message to leaders around the world, certainly in Africa, that these things are not a one way street.”

 At his speech on Wednesday, Wilson paid tribute to President Mandela’s “lifelong commitment to freedom,” saying he had come to South Africa to honour one of his personal heroes.

“Nelson Mandela is a hero to all people who value freedom, dignity and justice,” he said.